I WAS SACKED FROM UMNO BUT STILL BECAME PM, DR M TELLS ANINA

Don’t abandon the struggle over a small matter, he says while Muhyiddin explains she was not appointed Srikandi chief because her performance was not up to mark.

(FMT) – Dr Mahathir Mohamad today told Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (PPBM) Anina Saadudin to avoid making a mountain out of a molehill.

He said a small disagreement over the party’s decision not to make her the head of its women’s wing (Srikandi) shouldn’t be a reason for her to abandon the party’s main struggle, which is to save the country.

The nation’s longest-serving former prime minister was responding to PPBM’s internal conflict, which saw Anina retaliating against the party leadership after she claimed to have been stripped of her post as Srikandi chief.

“Don’t get disappointed and forget our struggles just because of something small that happened to you.

“I myself was sacked from the party, but then I still became the prime minister,” Mahathir, who is PPBM’s chairman told a press conference at the PKNS complex here.

PPBM president Muhyiddin Yassin, who was also present this evening, denied there was any conflict, and claimed the whole situation was misunderstood.

He said there was nothing personal in the decision, which was made by the party after finding her performance not up to par.

“When we started the party, we asked her to lead and put Srikandi into motion. But there was no official decision when it comes to the post of Srikandi chief.

“What happened was, maybe for some reason, Anina didn’t achieve the target. So the party decided not to appoint her to that post.

“But she is still the supreme council member. We will leave it to her, to decide if she wants to remain with the party.”

Muhyiddin however expressed hope that Anina, who is one of PPBM’s seven founding members, will continue fighting with them. This is after all, just the beginning, he said. There is more that needs to be done, he added.

“Although to her, the decision may not be what she wanted, to me, it’s just one of the challenges we all have to face.”

When asked when the party will finally decide on who should hold the Srikandi post, Muhyiddin said the leaders are still reviewing all the candidates.